Traditional Chinese medicine’s five elements theory is helpful to interpret the connection between the physiology and pathology of the human body and the natural environment.
Five phases or elements
The great five elements are wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. The five elements theory is helpful to interpret the connection between the physiology and pathology of the human-body and the natural environment. The five elements are in constant movement and change, and the interdependence and mutual restraint of these five elements clarify the complex connection between material objects as well as the unity between the human body and the world.
The five elements emerged from an observation of the various groups of dynamic processes, functions, and characteristics observed in the natural world. The aspects involved in each of the five elements are following:
Five element characterization and classification
- Wood is characterizing as germination, extension, softness, harmony, flexibility, etc.
- Fire is characterizing as draught, heat, flaring, ascendance, movement, etc.
- Earth is characterizing as growing, changing, nourishing, producing, etc.
- Metal is characterizing as strength, firmness, killing, cutting, cleaning up, etc.
- Water is characterizing as moisture, cold, descending, flowing, etc.
It then concludes that anything with that defined characteristics should be included into the corresponding category of the element.
Relation between Five elements
Between the five elements there exists close relationships that can classify as:
- Mutual promoting and restraining under physiological conditions by mutually promoting, and restraining functions of the various systems are coordinated, and homeostasis maintained.
- Mutual encroaching and mutual violating under pathological conditions, by encroaching and violating, pathological changes can explain and complications predict.
Mutual promoting five elements
Order of mutual promoting among the five elements is that wood promotes fire; fire promotes earth; earth promotes metal; metal promotes water; and water generates wood. Thus, each of the five elements has been mutual circular promoting a relationship with the other continues endlessly.
Mutual restraining five elements
Order of mutual restraining among the five elements is that metal restrains wood; wood restrains earth; earth restrains water; water restrains fire; and fire restrains metal. These five elements also share this restraining relationship with the other.
Mutual promoting and restraining are coexistence and cannot separate. If there is no promoting, means no birth and growth. If there is no restraining, means no change and development for maintaining normal harmonious relations. Thus, the growth and development or change of all things exists through this mutual promoting and restraining relationships. These relationships are the fundamental to the circulation of natural elements.
Encroaching and violating are the pathological conditions of the general mutual promoting and restraining relationships. Encroaching indicates that the restraining of one of the five elements to another exceeds the normal level, while violating indicates that one of the five elements restrains the other opposite to the normal mutual restraining order.